Maybe it’s not the hottest start, but Roy (5-3) has broken a 20-year streak of consecutive losing seasons. The Royals have a bye next week, so win or lose at Mountain Crest on Friday, and regardless of whether the Royals make the state playoffs or not, Roy is assured of its first .500-or-better season since 1991. Roy and East share the dubious honor of sharing the state record for consecutive losing seasons. East suffered through its 20 from 1975-1994.

Roy (5-3) last had five victories in 2007 when the Royals went 5-6, but they’ll be a decided underdog at Mountain Crest in trying for their sixth win — last seen in 1991.

Winning Streaks

Duchesne (at Monticello) is primed to pick up its 30th consecutive win, which would tie the Eagles with San Juan for the second longest all-time. The Broncos’ streak ran from 2009 through the semifinals last year. Timpview holds the record at 36, but Duchesne could close to 34 by winning the Class 1A championship. With some careful early-season scheduling, the Eagles could overtake the Thunderbirds in 2013.

After a bye week, Hurricane goes for its 21st straight victory, which would tie the Tigers for the 14th longest winning streak in state history.

And the Winless

The number of those yet to taste victory will drop by at least one when Ben Lomond visits Tooele on Thursday. It’s the last game between winless teams on the docket this season.

Most-Improved

Grand County and Union have the biggest turnarounds of 2012, each improving 5.0 games. The Red Devils went from 2-8 in 2011 to 6-2 so far this year. The Cougars were 0-10 last year and are 4-4 this season. Cyprus (0-9 to 3-5), Hunter (3-7 to 5-2), Snow Canyon (2-7 to 5-3), South Sevier (2-7 to 5-3) and Timpanogos (4-7 to 6-2) are all 3.5 games better.

Most-played Rivalries (min. 50 games)

Box Elder and Logan hold their grudge match for the 94th time in the state’s second most-played rivalry. The Bees dominate 61-29-3. Logan has taken two of the last three since the series resumed in 2009 after a four-year hiatus, but Box Elder has won five of the past seven going back to 2001.

American Fork tangles with Pleasant Grove for the 78th time. The Cavemen lead 48-27-2 and defeated PG 17-14 in overtime last year to break the Vikings’ three-game series winning streak.

Kanab easily controls its series with Parowan 67-4-1 and has won fifty straight over the Rams since 1971 (Parowan’s victories came in 1951, ’54 and twice in ’70).

Wasatch and Uintah clash for the 59th time; the Wasps lead the series 40-17-1.

Highland and East duke it out for the 55th time. The Rams lead the series 32-22 since 1957 (they didn’t meet from 1993-96), but since 2006, they’ve gone back and forth winning three each.

Richfield has a 35-17 lead over South Sevier as they meet for the 53rd time since 1920. The Wildcats have won four of the last five.

Milestone Games

Bonneville, in its 53rd season, plays its 550th game.

Bingham’s Dave Peck is gunning for his 125th victory with the Miners. Bingham is also looking to score in its 100th straight game going back to the start of the 2005 season. That’s the third longest active scoring streak and 15th longest overall.

Evasive Emilio

Taylorsville’s Emilio Salvador has returned three kickoffs 99 yards this year to set a state record.

Over 100 players have length-of-field kick returns, and before last week, three of them had a pair of 99-yard returns the same season: Salvador, Bonneville’s Cole Boyer (1999) and Enterprise’s Lance Jones (2004). Cottonwood’s Stanley Havili also returned two kickoffs 99 yards, but in different seasons – 2004 and ’05.

Salvador is the first to have three the same season.

From Last Week

San Juan quieted Beaver 20-0 for its fourth shutout of the season, the most of any school this year.

Even though Duchesne has the head to head if both teams posted the same region
records they would share the region championship. Duchesne would receive the #1
seed for the playoffs with the head to head tie breaker.

1:34 p.m. Oct. 11, 2012

Top comment

Rural sport fan

DUCHESNE, UT

Me Myself and I: What a strange way to figure a championship. Is that a UHSAA
determination, or how the region determines things?